


Beach Antics with Achilles

by rememberednoah



Category: The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Beach Volleyball, Beaches, Blow Jobs, Cussing, Cute, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hand Jobs, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Ocean, Smut, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 06:02:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6411874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rememberednoah/pseuds/rememberednoah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There were few things Patroclus would say no to when it came to Achilles. When Achilles asked him not to take a summer class, he agreed because Achilles made a convincing point by merely breathing. When Achilles asked him to go on a road trip with him to Phthia so they could spend a week at the beach, how was Patroclus supposed to say no? The answer to that was that there was no way for him to say no because the whole idea had more upsides than downsides.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This began as an apology fic for my friend Vivian and was meant to have max 5k words. The fic ended up turning into this monster. I'm not sure how it happened, but it wouldn't have been possible without constantly listening to Hellogoodbye, Twenty One Pilots and Arctic Monkeys. So pretty much whenever the boys are singing in this fic, I imagined them singing songs by Hellogoodbye and Twenty One Pilots.
> 
> Some ideas for this fic were taken from [this](http://otpmusings.tumblr.com/post/134081433445/otp-at-the-beach)  
> tumblr post.

There were few things Patroclus would say no to when it came to Achilles. When Achilles asked him not to take a summer class, he agreed because Achilles made a convincing point by merely breathing. When Achilles asked him to go on a road trip with him to Phthia so they could spend a week at the beach, how was Patroclus supposed to say no? The answer to that was that there was no way for him to say no because the whole idea had more upsides than downsides. 

The issue with Patroclus when it came to Achilles was that even now, after they had known each other for years and after they had been dating for over a year, Patroclus was still stupid when it came to Achilles. The blonde was his whole _world_.

[ — — — — ] 

Patroclus threw himself onto the passenger's seat of Achilles' white Jeep. He puffed out a breath of exhaustion, the dark curls that were on his forehead moving with the exhalation. He had just spent the better part of an hour and a half helping Achilles get everything they needed for their road trip in the car and a half hour before that stopping at the bakery to get some fresh bread and then heading to the grocery store to buy some ingredients to make sandwiches. He was well aware of the fact that the two of them had probably packed excessively for their one week trip, but that was how it worked with Patroclus and Achilles. He knew they both either packed excessively or like they were planning to spend twenty four hours out of their apartment. There was no in between and Patroclus, for one, was already spent.

He heard Achilles close the trunk with a satisfied _huff_ and it wasn't long before the golden haired boy was in his line of vision. Achilles looked at him through the open window and offered him a wide grin. He was radiating positive energy, his whole body language screaming how ready he was for a long drive and how he expected every single second to be the best of his life. Patroclus didn't want to take away from said joy, hell, he wanted to bottle it up for all eternity, so he offered the blonde his best grin. 

Achilles seemed to come alive with just that expression on Patroclus' face. Before Patroclus could roll his eyes and tell his boyfriend to stop being such a fucking hopelessly in love dork (even though he loved every single inch of it) he was cut off before he could even begin the statement. The blonde opened the door to the driver's side and sat down with far more grace than Patroclus could ever manage in any lifetime and looked back at Patroclus one more time before he grasped the wheel. 

The engine was already running and Patroclus was more than ready to leave behind their apartment and just start their ride once and for all. He wasn’t too keen on spending his time sitting in a car doing nothing. If a vehicle was around, he preferred it to be in movement and taking him somewhere nicer than their apartment (not that there was anything wrong with the apartment he shared with Achilles). With some maneuvering, Patroclus managed to nudge Achilles' thigh with his foot and said, "Drive." 

"Yes, Daddy," Achilles replied immediately. 

“Why?” Patroclus grabbed the first thing he found at hand and smacked Achilles with it. This only resulted in Achilles bursting out with laughter, the sound engulfing the interior of the car and making Patroclus almost dizzy. Patroclus shook his head and stared down at what he had used as a weapon against Achilles. It ended up being a Captain America comic and Patroclus groaned in frustration. It wasn't even an effective weapon against the mass of pure athletic muscle that was his boyfriend. "Look at what you made me do. What has Cap ever done to deserve this? Start driving, Achilles." 

Achilles tried to suppress his laughter, but all this managed to do was make the corners of his eyes crinkle and his emerald eyes sparkle deviously. Patroclus shook his head once more and rolled his eyes at himself for wanting to kiss his stupid jerk mouth. He really was hopeless when it came to Achilles. It was _almost_ as if the other boy could do no wrong in his eyes. 

To feel like he was still the winner of this "argument", Patroclus lazily, with a movement that was nearly a slap, turned on the radio and then turned it up when a familiar song was what came out of the speakers. Much to Patroclus' relief, the golden haired boy took this as his cue and began to drive. Patroclus felt himself relax once the Jeep was in movement and his body went lax against his seat. 

Achilles took a second to give Patroclus' thigh a small squeeze before he focused back on the road and began to sing along to the song playing on the radio. Patroclus felt his eyes instinctively close as he heard the sound of Achilles' voice and let himself be whisked away by the mere sound of it. He was familiar with the lyrics of the song his boyfriend was singing, but for a moment he was just too caught up with the _sound_. There was a reason why his excessively athletic boyfriend who could play pretty much any sport in existence was studying music. The reason was that Achilles' body was made for action, for sport, for strength, but his soul was that of an artist. Patroclus loved every single part of who Achilles was; the athlete and the musician. He loved it all. He wanted it all for himself and it was all his. 

This moment of blissful peace, of only the sound of Achilles’ soft singing, was interrupted as he felt Achilles repeatedly nudge him on the side, his lips still forming the words of the song playing on the radio while his eyes told Patroclus to sing along. There were a few things Patroclus was sure of and one of them was that he was not a good singer (and that he was a shitty sportsman). Nevertheless, Achilles was insistent and kept poking his side like a five year old until he budged. Honestly, by the time he caved, Patroclus was trying to hold back a laugh as he opened his mouth to sing even though he would regret it immediately. 

As soon as he began to sing, Achilles let out a _hoot_ of victory and began to passionately drum his fingers onto the steering wheel to the beat of the new song that had started to play. This way, with Achilles at the wheel either singing or drumming his fingers on the steering wheel or nudging Patroclus' side or giving his thigh a squeeze or letting Patroclus rap a whole song because he was good at it, they spent the rest of the long drive. 

Patroclus couldn't help but think, as the miles kept running, that life was really fucking good and he was really fucking happy.

**[ — — — — ]**

By the time Patroclus and Achilles reached the hotel they would be spending a week in, the sun was setting down the horizon, turning the sky muted shades of pink and orange. At this point, Patroclus was totally beat and Achilles looked about ready to take on the world. The blonde looked like he would start jumping off the walls any moment now. The first thing Achilles did when the hotel was in their sights was plant a big wet kiss on Patroclus' mouth that was nothing short of completely ridiculous.

Patroclus shook his head and poked Achilles in that small spot that was always ticklish to the golden haired boy. Achilles barked out a laugh and pulled away from Patroclus, pulling up in front of the hotel. The hotel, as was to be expected when it came to anything with Achilles, looked luxurious just on first glance. The two of them jumped out of the Jeep simultaneously and already there were employees lined up to help them with all their baggage. 

Patroclus made sure to grab his trusted backpack, the one he kept close at all times almost as if it were another limb of his, and pretty much let himself be helped by the employees with the rest of their belongings. Achilles, always the charmer, had already had about ten different conversations in the span of about a minute and already had half of the staff staring at him as if he was the sun itself. Just as this thought was running over Patroclus’ mind, almost as if he could sense that Patroclus was beginning to feel uncomfortable, the blonde turned to look at him and reached out to intertwine their fingers. 

"Come on. I chose this place for a reason," he said, eyes bright and excited. The feeling grew to be contagious the longer Patroclus held Achilles' hand in his own and it wasn't long before he was smiling again. 

The two young men waited in line to check in and once that was done, and each of them had a key card for their room, Achilles turned to look at Patroclus with a huge grin. Patroclus already knew what the other was thinking without the blonde having even said one word. He began to say, "No," but the blonde was already poised to move. 

"Race you!" Achilles called out and was already moving away from Patroclus' side in a rush. 

Patroclus sighed and chased after him even though he would never be able to beat the other boy. He called out, "What are we? Five?" 

"Try to keep up, Patroclus!" Achilles said, turning to face him and jogging backwards. 

These were the sort of moments where Patroclus wondered whether he was dating a five year old or a twenty year old. It always seemed like the more ridiculous Achilles behaved, the more Patroclus fell helplessly in love with him. Ridiculous. Patroclus was absolutely ridiculous. 

Nevertheless, Patroclus ran towards Achilles and the blonde, _obviously_ , beat him to the finish line and hit one of the buttons for the elevators. One of them opened almost immediately, at the very same second that Patroclus reached Achilles' side. Achilles grinned widely and put an arm around Patroclus' shoulders before dragging them both inside the elevator. A few employees followed after them with the rest of their belongings and Patroclus couldn't help but feel their scrutinizing eyes on the two of them. 

Whenever Patroclus and Achilles went out, _literally everywhere they went_ , at least one person would stare at them as if they couldn't comprehend how the two of them could have ended up together in any world or universe. It never failed to get to Patroclus, even if it was just a little bit. It wasn't that he was afraid of losing Achilles. He knew the blonde was as hopelessly in love with him as Patroclus was with him. The problem was that Patroclus couldn't help but _agree_ with the people who didn't understand why they were together. He wasn't sure how he'd ever managed to get Achilles to love him back. It was nothing short of a miracle to Patroclus. A miracle he was _really really_ happy about and didn't want to be ripped away from. 

Once more it seemed that Achilles could sense the line of thought Patroclus was going down on. Achilles tightened his hold around his shoulders and buried his face in his dark curls to press a kiss to the top of his head. Patroclus still wasn't sure when they had learned to read each other so well. Hell, he sometimes found it creepy as fuck, like Achilles had learned the art of reading minds. Still, he found comfort in the steady pressure of the blonde's arm on his shoulder and the warmth of his face so close to his own. 

The elevator finally stopped at their floor and they all got out of it in a rush. Achilles, of course, was the first to find the door to their room and had it open only a second afterward. The employees helped carry inside their belongings and left after Achilles gave them a probably really generous tip, but not before casting Patroclus another questioning glance. Patroclus felt a muscle in his jaw tighten at the sight, his hands awkwardly trying to find something to do with themselves. He couldn’t help but feel relief when they left. His shoulders slumped when they were out of sight and he felt like himself again with just Achilles and him in the room. 

Almost immediately after they were alone, just to prove to himself for the millionth time that he wasn’t hallucinating and that Achilles truly was his boyfriend, he threw his arms around Achilles' neck and drew him in close for a kiss. The blonde was already smiling by the time their lips touched and Patroclus tightened his hold on the other so he could more effectively kiss the smile away. It didn't take much. Achilles was easily sidetracked when he was kissing Patroclus (not that Patroclus was any better). Once Patroclus felt Achilles' hands searching for the skin underneath his shirt, he pulled away and smoothly launched himself smack in the middle of the bed. 

He crawled closer to the pillows and grabbed the fluffiest looking one. He hugged it to his chest and pretended to go off to sleep. Achilles being Achilles, threw himself violently onto Patroclus and wrapped his arms around him and the pillow. He moved so he could plant a loud kiss onto Patroclus' forehead and then smiled at him sweetly.

Achilles’ fingers ran smoothly over the curls of Patroclus’ dark hair that were on his forehead and he said, “You know they’re wrong, right?” 

His touches were feather soft, his eyes looking down kindly at Patroclus with the adoration that was as familiar and intoxicating as always. He said the next words even as he knew they would sound unconvincing. “I know.”

“I’m not crazy for being madly in love with you.” Achilles ran a thumb over the line of Patroclus’ jaw, his eyes roaming over every inch of his skin, making him feel as exposed as ever. “There’s so much to love. What’s _crazy_ is not loving you. It’s just downright insane and impossible. None of them know what they’re missing out on.” 

The finger on Patroclus’ jaw moved down to his throat, a thumb hovering over his pulse before soft lips kissed his Adam’s apple. “You’re right. Kiss me again anyway?” 

Achilles laughed, the sound cocooning Patroclus in a sense of warmth and safety. He felt lips press against his and melted away into the feeling, arms wrapping around Achilles’ neck. Before he could fade away into the feeling, draw the other boy closer, Achilles pulled away and grinned at him. He cast his green eyes toward the drawn curtains in their room, the sliding doors showing them a clear view of the dark sky outside, and his body once more seemed to be made of never ending energy. 

"I'm tired, Achilles,” he said. The words were true, but also the beginning of a plan that had started taking shape in his mind. It was a plan that involved not leaving this room and reminding himself just how much Achilles wanted to be with _him_ and how happy he was about that. 

"Bullshit. We have a beach waiting for us. We have to go now!" Achilles said, his voice ringing loudly in the room, hands giving Patroclus’ shoulders a small shake. 

"Let's go tomorrow," Patroclus whispered, fingers carefully burying themselves into Achilles' golden locks. Just that small touch was enough to lessen Achilles' resolve slightly. Achilles grasped the pillow that lay between them and pushed it aside, allowing their bodies to touch. 

"Are you offering something better?" Achilles asked, eyes losing their focus slightly as Patroclus started to tenderly massage his scalp. Patroclus wasn't even putting that much effort into the motions. He was so used to doing it to get his way that it came almost automatically. Achilles' reaction was almost automatic as well, his body loosening and his frame releasing any lingering sign of tension. Really, the blonde was putty in Patroclus' hands. He loved every bit of it. 

"Maybe," Patroclus whispered in a barely audible tone. He tightened his hold on the golden curls of his boyfriend and brought his face closer to his. He brushed his lips softly against Achilles’, barely a breath of a touch, and grinned when he saw the last of Achilles' resolve melt away. 

"You're an asshole," Achilles murmured, eyes fluttering closed as Patroclus grinded their hips together. Patroclus nodded slowly, pulling their bodies closer together as he absently brushed his lips against Achilles' again. 

Achilles was unable to resist whispering an, " _I love you, Patroclus_ " before he crushed their lips together. 

Patroclus welcomed the kiss, mouth greedy and expectant. His fingers were still buried in his boyfriend’s strands of gold and he tightened his hold on them, crushing the other boy against him. A moan left Achilles' lips as Patroclus pressed hard against him and Patroclus felt the sound shudder through all of him, making him warm from the inside out. 

He bit the blonde's bottom lip, a hand reaching down to rub over the blonde's clothed length. Achilles groaned, his limbs buckling as the strength seeped out of them. Patroclus grinned just before he flipped them over so his body then hovered over his boyfriend's. Before Achilles could make a sound, Patroclus bent down to press their lips together, tongue seeking what he knew to be his. 

With a free hand, Patroclus reached down to continue rubbing Achilles' clothed length. Achilles moaned, the sound loud and intoxicating to Patroclus' ears. He fed on the noise, craving to hear it over and over again. It was a reminder that Achilles was exactly where he wanted to be. His fingers slipped under the waistline of Achilles’ underwear, fingers wrapping around the blonde. 

" _Patroclus_ ," the blonde whined, thrusting his hips forward into Patroclus' hand. 

Patroclus made a satisfied sound, his hand stroking down the other's length as his other hand pushed up the blonde's t-shirt, lips kissing the skin revealed. He kissed the smooth skin reverently, marveling at the feeling of the other's skin against him. It never failed to mesmerize him, drive him closer to insanity every single time. He could still hardly believe he was allowed this, that he could have _this_. 

He moved his hand, feeling Achilles' breath hitch. He brushed his lips against the gorgeous skin, grip tightening, whispering, "So beautiful." 

Achilles moaned, hips bucking forward, body arching deliciously. "Patroclus. _Patroclus_." 

"What?" He looked up, eyes drinking in the sight of his boyfriend. His cheeks were painted with heat, blonde curls in rumpled disarray, evidence of Patroclus' touches, and Patroclus wondered what the blonde's chest looked like under his shirt. 

"Patroclus," Achilles murmured, heated green eyes meeting Patroclus' and telling him everything he needed to know. 

Patroclus didn't need begging. That look was more than enough to make him do _anything_. He released the blonde, only to take hold of the hem of his boyfriend's t-shirt so he could pull it aside. There was no resistance, their bodies expertly moving to take away all the clothing. They were so used to it that there were no stumbling limbs, no awkward movements, just the blinding drive that they needed to get naked and they needed to do it _now_. 

Patroclus didn’t bother to suppress a moan as their naked bodies touched. He easily slotted their bodies together, grinding hard against the other. He was unable to hold back the moans that left his throat, feeling himself get drunk on the way Achilles sounded. He kissed the sounds out of Achilles' lips, filling himself up so much with the feeling and the taste of Achilles that he felt like he would explode. 

War waged inside of Patroclus. He knew he should get up, look for some lube, but the feeling of their bodies together, the friction, the skin, the heat, it was obliterating all sense. He didn't want the feeling to stop. 

He felt fingers bury in his hair, pulling him close as their bodies moved together. Achilles didn't have to say much for Patroclus to make the right choice. All he had to do was pull their faces apart and look into Patroclus' eyes with the fire that burned there and whisper, " _Patroclus_." 

He got to his feet immediately, skin aching as it lost contact with Achilles'. He looked for his backpack and expertly looked through its compartments until he found what he was looking for. He threw the bottle of lube towards the bed and didn't miss when Achilles said, "Fucking finally." 

Patroclus couldn't help the smile that took shape on his lips as he went towards the bed and crawled over Achilles’ body. Achilles easily spread his legs, arching his body forward, a hand offering the bottle of lube to Patroclus. He took it, but easily got sidetracked at the sight of his boyfriend beneath him. He could simply not resist the temptation to kiss that beautiful skin, his lips brushing kisses on the inside of Achilles' thigh. 

Achilles was coming undone under the fluttering kisses, whining, thrusting his hips forward, a hand burying itself in Patroclus' hair but unable to determine what exactly he wanted. Patroclus smiled, sweet and smitten, before he sucked a bruise into the tender flesh of the blonde's inner thigh. Achilles whined, high and needy and demanding, "Patroclus." 

Patroclus opened the bottle of lube, coating two fingers as he rubbed them to warm the substance. He pressed a tender kiss to Achilles' hip as he slid a finger inside the blonde. Achilles moaned, body arching forward, eyes fluttering closed. Patroclus watched him, enamored by the sight of the blonde. He loved the way heat was spreading over Achilles’ chest, the way his curls matted to his forehead with sweat, the strands turning a rich honey color, and his hands balling into fists around the fabric underneath his fingers. 

Patroclus kept his moves slow and steady, slipping in and out of the blonde at an excruciating pace just so he could watch him. He wanted to memorize him like this. He wanted to keep this image of Achilles burned into his skull so he could never forget this had been his and only his. He wanted to remember the way Achilles' breath grew labored as he added another finger. The way his veins stood out as his hold on the comforter tightened even more. He wanted to never forget the shade of warm honey his curls became. The way he thrusted against his fingers, wanting more and more of him. He wanted to be able to recreate by memory alone the sounds that left his boyfriend's throat; the whines, the moans, the strangled breaths, the panting. The way Achilles didn't have to say ' _more_ ' for Patroclus to offer it, grant it without a second thought. 

More than anything, he wanted to remember the feeling of his length sliding into Achilles. The way their bodies slotted together perfectly. The feeling of heat wrapping all around him so much so that he felt like he was made of it. He wanted to memorize the way their hands searched for each other, clasping tight. He wanted to memorize everything because it was his. It was his and he never wanted to forget it even as he knew he never could. 

There was no way to forget how it felt to thrust into the body of the boy he loved more than life itself. The way they matched each thrust, each one becoming faster and faster. There was no way to forget the way Achilles said his name over and over like a prayer as he got closer. It was impossible to forget the taste of Achilles' name, the way moans left his throat, the way he lost all sense of thought, as heat pooled into his groin. 

It was all his. The memories were all his. No one could take them from him. Achilles was as much his as he was Achilles'. He didn't want it any other way. 

As Achilles wrapped his legs around him, pulling him closer, Patroclus knew there was no other place he'd rather be.


	2. Chapter 2

Their first official morning at the hotel rolled around. Patroclus was the first to wake, his body stretching and somehow managing to settle even closer against Achilles'. He tried to remain still after that, his body pressed so neatly against Achilles' that he felt his body flood with heat. Gently, as to not wake the other, Patroclus reached for a curl of Achilles' perfect hair. He twirled the lock of hair around his finger, marveling at the color and feel of it. He never grew tired of doing this. He never grew tired of anything that had to do with Achilles. His hair. His eyes. His skin. His muscles under his fingertips. His lips. Everything was just as mesmerizing and all-consuming each time he looked. Just breathing in the same room as Achilles brought such a sense of well-being to Patroclus that it was borderline absurd. 

Patroclus kept his tender care of the single lock of hair and allowed his eyes to wander over the face of his boyfriend. He was staring at the strong line of his nose, ready to touch his nose against his, when he felt an arm tighten around his waist and a sleepy voice mutter, "How am I supposed to get out of this bed when you're playing with my hair? You know that's my number one weakness when it comes to you." 

Patroclus laughed, hand shamelessly searching over Achilles' smooth skin until he found what he was looking for and he whispered teasingly, "Are you sure that's your number one weakness when it comes to me? I'm sure there are other places you would prefer my hands to be." 

Achilles' breath hitched for a fraction of a second before he let out a breathy groan and buried his face in Patroclus' neck. "Stop it or we might never leave this room." 

"Wouldn't that be such a shame?" Patroclus asked, giving his wrist a sharp twist as he stroked the blonde just so he could feel him twitch in his grasp. 

"Patroclus," Achilles murmured, paying special attention to each syllable of his name, a warning. He bit Patroclus' neck, further warning him to back down, but Patroclus didn't feel like backing down so easily even though he knew he should. 

Patroclus gave his wrist another twist around Achilles' length and felt the blonde inch closer to him, his breath already growing labored. He stroked him again, thumb pressing against the slit, throat releasing one of those soft sounds he knew Achilles loved so much. Achilles moaned softly, thrusting into Patroclus’ hand. Satisfied over managing to get his boyfriend so hot and bothered so easily, he retracted his hand and pushed Achilles' chest away from him. 

Achilles groaned, but that was the only sign of complaint he gave. The blonde rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, his golden locks fanning out on the pillow behind him. "We should be getting ready to head to the beach." 

"Already on it," Patroclus said, jumping to his feet and walking over to the bag that held all his clothes. He looked for one of his swim trunks and a t-shirt before he headed into the bathroom. After quickly brushing his teeth and changing into proper clothing, he slipped back into the room. He found that Achilles was still on the bed, an arm thrown over his eyes, and his breathing slowing down as he began to drift back to sleep. Patroclus was not about to lay around all day. After a full night’s sleep, _he_ was finally ready to take on the world and he would make Achilles get on his same page if he had to. 

Without much of a care, he threw himself onto Achilles so he was sitting on his stomach. The blonde huffed out a breath and opened his eyes wide. He didn't even have the decency to look upset. He just shook his head and smiled before he said, "Alright. Alright. I'll get ready." 

Patroclus grinned and easily rolled off of Achilles. He got to his feet once more and looked for the bread he had bought at the bakery the morning before. He then searched through their belongings for the ingredients he had bought at the grocery store and had completely forgotten to store in the small fridge in their room when they got to the hotel. Once he had the ingredients in hand, Patroclus began to hum to himself as he made a sandwich for each of them. He figured he should make two for each of them, but he really didn't feel like having one for breakfast and one for lunch. Plus, he knew that if he told Achilles he wanted to order room service, he would gladly agree. 

The minute Patroclus had the sandwiches made, he put them away in his trusted backpack and made sure he had everything he needed inside. When he was sure of this, he walked into the bathroom to find that Achilles was still messing around with his hair even though he always ended up letting it run free however the hell it wanted to. Patroclus wrapped his arms around Achilles' waist and asked, "Can I order room service?" 

"Of course, babe. Order two of whatever you want," Achilles said, turning around to press a quick kiss to Patroclus' lips before he focused back on his hair. 

Patroclus nodded and easily picked up the phone in the room to order whatever he saw that sounded any good. The good thing about his boyfriend was that his parents were loaded and Achilles' dad had no problem giving him a hefty allowance. As long as Achilles remained in sports and kept up his grades, he didn't much care whatever Achilles did with the money. Patroclus was smart enough to know that if it weren't for Achilles, he wouldn't have half of the luxuries he had now (like the fact that he gets to share an apartment with his boyfriend and not pay rent or water or electricity or anything). The only place he drew the line was in his studies. Patroclus was up to his eyeballs in student loans, but he tried not to think about it too much because that often led to problems. It could lead to sleepless nights and, heaven forbid, his boyfriend would say he was paying Patroclus' tuition _and that was the end of it_. 

Patroclus pushed these thoughts aside and hung up the phone once he had finished ordering. He walked over to the sliding doors in the room that led to a small balcony and pushed aside the large blue curtains that hid away the sunshine. Instantly, the room was flooded with light and Patroclus felt his skin warm. He opened one of the sliding doors and stepped outside, feeling his face being slapped by the cool ocean breeze. He walked over to the balcony railing and gripped it with both hands, closing his eyes to take another huge gulp of air. It had been a while since he'd last been back at Phthia and he had to admit he'd missed it. He missed the mornings and afternoons spent at the beach. He missed the days when school wasn't stressful and he could rely on the fact that he was always welcome at Achilles' house after school. 

He couldn’t deny that his time at Phthia had been good, even as he could remember the not so great parts of it. Patroclus really didn't have anyone else but Achilles to count on during that time. His own father had despised the sight of him since he was a child and once he'd met Achilles, the fact that he wished the blonde had been his son instead was so evident that Patroclus' life at home had been a living hell. It had been a relief, although at first it did not seem that way, when Achilles' mom had sent the blonde to the Pelion Boarding School. Patroclus had thought he would lose his best, and only, friend when Thetis made that decision, but then his father couldn't have been happier. He sent him off more than gladly to the same boarding school, not giving one single shit about how much it cost as long as Patroclus was out of his sight. Once Patroclus wasn't living under the same roof as his father, it was like he could properly breathe again. After that, _well_ , the true glory years came. He had close to no restriction on how much time he spent with Achilles and it wasn't long before they were graduating and had both been accepted at the prestigious University of Troy. Everything after that was just looking up and up. 

Patroclus felt two hands suddenly clamp on his shoulders and he had to use all the strength in his body not to jump in surprise. He glanced back and wasn't startled at all to find that Achilles was there, a smile brightening his whole face, his golden hair perfectly disheveled on his head. The blonde easily slipped his arms around Patroclus' waist and lay his chin on his shoulder. 

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, his breaths tickling the skin of Patroclus' neck. 

"I'm thinking that I missed Phthia and that I'm really fucking happy to be here with you," he said, trying to permeate his voice with as much cheerfulness as he could possibly manage. He didn’t want the blonde to guess that he’d also been thinking about his father. 

"Good. Ready to have a blast once we're done with breakfast?" 

"Fuck yes," Patroclus said, and he meant it. He settled back comfortably into Achilles’ arms and felt the blonde’s lips on his neck. He made a satisfied sound under his breath, pushing back the strands of dark hair that were on his forehead. He could feel the heat of the sun wrap around him and he couldn’t wait until the two of them were down at the beach. 

A few minutes later, their room service arrived. Patroclus was the one to open the door, but Achilles was not far behind. The female employee that greeted them smiled when she looked between the two of them and gave the cart full of food in her hands a small push inside. Patroclus smiled back, polite, and grabbed the cart so he could drag it the rest of the way inside. 

“Good morning,” he heard Achilles say brightly, tone inviting as always. 

“Good morning to you both as well. I hope you have a nice stay,” she said, her eyes focusing on Patroclus with interest before they drifted back to Achilles. 

The blonde offered her a tip and the employee disappeared without another word. As soon as she was gone, Achilles shut the door after her and smirked in Patroclus’ direction. “And somehow you still question your appeal.” 

Patroclus childishly stuck his tongue out before he grabbed a plate from the tray and sat down on the bed. Achilles joined in beside him, stealing from Patroclus’ plate instead of getting one for himself. In this way, with a comfortable silence between them, the two of them ate their breakfast like they hadn't been fed in years. They did not leave any single speck of leftovers anywhere in sight. 

Achilles sighed, content, and reached for Patroclus’ hand to lead him to his feet. The two boys then grabbed a few of their things before they headed out of the room in search for the beach. 

The second the two of them saw the ocean, it was like something in them just lit up. They didn't even have to speak and simply took off their shirts and dropped off their stuff in a corner before they began to run towards the water. Achilles had the sense to shout, "I'll race ya'" even after he was already more than a few feet ahead of Patroclus. Patroclus really didn't care. He ran after the blonde and grinned as he thought about what he was going to do next. 

Achilles reached the water first, of course, and his back was still facing Patroclus when he made his decision in a split second. Before the blonde could turn around to face him, Patroclus, with a smile lighting up his face, caught up with him and jumped onto his back. Patroclus laughed victoriously as he successfully looped his arms around Achilles neck and wrapped his legs around his waist. Achilles didn't even stumble, smoothly taking in his weight and matching Patroclus' laugh with his own. 

Even carrying the weight of Patroclus on his back, Achilles waded deeper into the water, the liquid sloshing up and slapping coldly against Patroclus' skin. "I bet you can't run with me on your back, in the water, all the way to the last hotel way over there without breaking a sweat." 

"Is that a dare I hear, Ro? A dare from Patroclus? You're on, babe!" Achilles said, his voice like honey. The laughter in his tone made Patroclus feel like he could get drunk on the sound alone. He knew he already had done so before. 

"You're going to lose!" Patroclus said loudly, even as he knew he would probably be the one losing. He didn't care. He felt happy and alive and young again and that was more than enough. 

Achilles didn't even give Patroclus the hint of a warning before he broke out in a sprint, moving faster than any human should when they were in the ocean. Patroclus clung on to Achilles for dear life, more laughter bubbling out of his chest when he began to see people stare after the two of them. They surely looked like a pair of lunatics. One boy clutching another as he ran as fast as he possibly could. It didn't matter, though, what anyone thought they looked like. 

The wind was brushing back Patroclus' dark curls, the breeze slipping into Patroclus' nostrils and making him feel like he was breathing fresh and clean air for once. Water kept buffeting his legs and splattering onto his arms and he couldn't have felt freer. He couldn’t have felt happier. 

"Is this what you call running, Achilles? You should be ashamed of yourself!" Patroclus taunted, barely hearing his own voice over the whistle of the wind as the blonde picked up speed. 

After that, in what felt like seconds, but were probably minutes, they made it to their destination. Achilles let out a howl of victory and pointed in the direction of the last hotel. "Guess who lost, Ro? Not me!" 

"How can you be so sure this is not sweat on your skin?" And before Achilles could think twice, Patroclus had moved his limbs in such a way that he was able to kick the back of Achilles' knees and in a matter of seconds they were both stumbling into the water. 

The two of them fell with a loud and big _splash_ and were briefly a tangle of limbs. Awkward kicks landed in strange places before they righted themselves. Achilles was the first to resurface, but Patroclus wasn't far behind. He laughed and ran a finger down Achilles' damp skin. "Who's to say this wasn't sweat just a few seconds ago? I don't see anyone who can testify to that." 

"Really? That's how you want to play this, huh?" In one easy swoop, Achilles took hold of Patroclus and threw him over his shoulder. 

"Achilles!" Patroclus exclaimed instantly, but his boyfriend wasn't listening. He was running towards the shore and didn't seem to have any plan to stop his running, regardless of Patroclus’ shouts. 

The two of them reached dry sand and that was when Achilles stopped running and threw him onto the sand. Before he could form half of a coherent thought, Achilles was waging a tickling war on him. There wasn't anything Patroclus could do to resist. Achilles was far too fast and concentrated for Patroclus to do much else but laugh hysterically and try to get air into his lungs. The blonde knew all too perfectly the perfect spots to hit to make Patroclus burst into fits of uncontrollable laughter. The dark haired boy didn’t stand a chance and he was enjoying himself far too much to even bother to think about bringing it to an end. 

His throat was burning and his skin was covered in sand by the time Achilles stopped his onslaught. He barely had any time to catch his breath before Achilles was kissing him and making him a whole different sort of breathless. Patroclus didn't have to second think his choice as he wrapped his arms around Achilles' neck to bring him in closer. His lungs felt like they were on fire but the sweet taste of Achilles on his tongue was too irresistible for him to think of something as human as _breathing_. He focused all his attention on the feel of Achilles' lips sliding against his, the way his warm skin felt against his, the taste of Achilles drowning out all of his other senses and any logical thought. 

Achilles' fingers were searching out every inch of Patroclus' skin, his touches leaving trails of boiling fire on his skin and Patroclus had enough sense left to pull away before he lost it enough to want to rip off what little clothing remained on Achilles and just fuck him right there on the sand like a wild animal. Patroclus pushed Achilles away, making sure to roll the blonde off of him, and gulped in huge gasps of air. He was panting, his chest rising and falling rapidly, and he took a few seconds to get a hold of himself. 

The moment Patroclus felt like he could think properly again, he turned to look at Achilles. The blonde was lying on his side, having already been staring at Patroclus for who knew how long? A grin took shape on his lips when he felt Patroclus' eyes on him and he said, "I would call this an even tie. What do you think, Patroclus?" 

"I think we've left our belongings by themselves long enough that they're probably not ours anymore," Patroclus said calmly, his breathing finally having reached a normal rate. He ran his hand through his now damp and sand covered hair to try to make it settle into some sort of semblance of order. 

Achilles' eyes widened in realization and he jumped to his feet in a rush. He offered a hand to Patroclus, to help him get up, and he graciously accepted it. The moment Patroclus was on his feet once again, Achilles said, "I'm going to run to make sure all our shit is still there. Catch up when you can?" 

"Sure," Patroclus said, giving Achilles a soft nudge in the direction they had come from. He watched for a few seconds as the blonde began his sprint back and took only a few seconds to begin his own walk in the same direction.

**[ — — — — ]**

By the time Patroclus reached the spot where his belongings and Achilles' were, he found that the blonde had already gotten them two beach chairs and an umbrella to keep away the sun. He was lounging back on one of the chairs, their belongings all neatly stacked around the sand beside the chairs, his skin shining with fresh water as the droplets dried away slowly on his skin.

This, of course, what meant was that in the time Patroclus had taken to walk all the way here, Achilles had already managed to wash away all the sand that must have gotten on him when they were nearly rolling around in the sand making out. Patroclus, as the idiot he was, still remained nicely coated in sand from head to toe. He would probably be trying to get sand out of his hair for the next month. 

"I'm gonna go to the water and wash up. Wait up for me here?" Patroclus asked, very consciously trying not to scratch the back of his head nervously. 

Achilles nodded, looking ill at ease and like he couldn't have less of a care. Patroclus couldn't help but feel his chest tighten, somehow pleasantly, at the sight. He loved this Achilles; laid back and ready to watch the world pass by with Patroclus by his side. Before Patroclus could go off into one of his blatant staring daydreams as he looked at the blonde, he jogged toward the water. 

Patroclus felt all tension leave his body as the cool water wrapped around him and he didn't even have to think before he submerged his whole body into the water. With the cool liquid brushing against all his skin, he was reminded even further of years before, when he and Achilles were both much younger. Without much conscious thought, Patroclus began to swim. It was still second nature to him, even though he hardly ever went swimming back at Troy. It just wasn't the same as here in Phthia. 

Patroclus' minute of just washing away all the sand on his skin and his hair turned into what he guessed to be at least a fifteen minute swim. Once he realized he had stayed away for far longer than he had once planned, he resurfaced, only to find that Achilles was waiting for him at the shore. He was sitting on the wet sand, toes burying themselves in it. He was reclining slightly back, his two hands supporting his weight. A smile bloomed on his face as soon as he saw Patroclus was looking at him. 

Patroclus grinned back at him and ran towards him before he promptly sat on his lap. Achilles chuckled, the sound making the skin on the back of Patroclus' neck tingle, before he washed his hands in the water so he could wrap his arms around the dark haired boy. Patroclus settled back more comfortably against his boyfriend and felt arms circle around him even more tightly. 

"Did you have a nice swim?" Achilles asked, his lips hovering over Patroclus' temple, teasing and relaxed. 

"Yeah, I didn't even know I missed being back here so much." 

"Good. That means you will gladly embrace with open arms the idea that I totally told those guys we would be joining their game of beach volleyball." Achilles motioned back with his head and Patroclus felt his heart plummet into his stomach. 

He looked back and groaned when he saw the guys Achilles was talking about. They were all utterly unfamiliar to him and that made it even clearer to Patroclus that he didn't want to make an ass of himself in front of them. It was fine to do so in front of Achilles' friends because they knew he was the brains of the operation and not the brawn, but these random guys would just see him as the idiot that failed terribly at playing volleyball. 

"You know I can't play for shit. Why do you get me into these things?" Patroclus asked, slipping out of Achilles' arms and getting to his feet. 

Achilles followed suit, but began to backtrack toward the water. "Because you love me and you would follow me anywhere. That's why." 

Patroclus shook his head in disappointment because he knew his boyfriend was _right_ and there was nothing he could say that would make the blonde any less right. "I expect you'll make it up to me when I embarrass myself in front of them for your sake?" 

"Of course, Ro. Whatever you want." Achilles exclaimed and then ran towards Patroclus. He threw an arm around his shoulders once he reached him and began to drag him toward the other guys he must have been speaking to while Patroclus innocently swam. 

"Are you sure I can't just sit back and watch you play? It'll be much more fun that way," Patroclus said in vain, knowing this was a losing battle he was in. 

"Come on, Patroclus. It'll be fun," Achilles said, his smile capable of lighting up the whole world. 

Patroclus, ever the sucker, gave in and let his boyfriend drag him toward certain embarrassment. He meant it when he said there were few things he could say no to when Achilles was involved. 

Exactly half an hour later, Patroclus was questioning if there really was such a thing as fun. He was also questioning his life choices. Was he really in love with Achilles? He could surely live without him. He didn't need anyone dragging him into certain doom. Shit. Who was Patroclus kidding? He would first cut off a limb before he willingly chose to live without Achilles. What he was sure of, though, was that volleyball brought him not even a single glimmer of joy. There was especially not even a single hint of joy because he wasn’t even allowed to stare at the way Achilles moved as he played. It was all just too fast and he was _in_ the game so he really couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. 

By the time the others realized Patroclus was a failure and was having a terrible time, it was too late. They were in too deep, trying to win against Achilles. It was because of this innate sense of competition that Patroclus was dragged into a game that lasted half an hour. The moment it was over, he was sweating, his lungs felt like they had given up on him eons ago and he felt ready to eat a bear whole. 

Patroclus didn't even bother with pleasantries. The guys from the other team looked ready for a rematch, to win back some of the dignity they lost by being severely beaten by Achilles, but Patroclus was dragging Achilles away before they could get another word in. He grabbed the blonde's hand and pulled him in the direction of where their belongings lay waiting for them. Achilles followed along happily, nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet with energy. He was always like that, it was like he recharged _after_ he played any sort of sport or went on a run. Meanwhile Patroclus felt like he was going to collapse with the weight of the world. He could handle staying on his feet for hours in a row in a lab, but sports? Nope. Definitely not his forte. 

He lay back on the beach chair Achilles had gotten him and he was thankful that, at least for that day, they hadn't brought their beach mat. He seriously needed the comfort of a sturdy chair. He sighed in relief once his weight was off his feet and he instinctively reached for his backpack. He found it in less than a second and opened it so he could search for the sandwiches he had made earlier that day. 

He heard Achilles sit down on the chair beside his and he looked in his direction, hands still buried in his backpack. "Are you hungry?" 

"Starving," he answered back immediately, leg bouncing up and down with restless energy. 

Patroclus nodded absently and focused back on finding the sandwiches in his backpack. The second he found them, he let out a cheerful sound and handed one over to Achilles. The blonde accepted it and easily pulled back the napkin around it. Patroclus did the same and bit into the sandwich a second later. 

It was the exact moment when he began to actually chew that he realized something was very wrong. He swallowed the first bite and shuddered. It felt like he was trying to swallow. . . He didn't even want to think it. He narrowed in his gaze on his boyfriend and shoved his sandwich accusingly at the blonde's face. 

Patroclus told himself he would remain calm, talk reasonably, but his words came out sounding aggravated and angry. "What the hell did you do to these? These were perfectly good sandwiches! And don't tell me you had nothing to do with it! There's only two people in this relationship and I certainly didn't fuck up the sandwiches!" 

"Patroclus," Achilles said calmly and that only seemed to fuel his frustration even further. 

"No! Don't use that tone with me! What did you do?" Patroclus asked, jumping from his chair onto Achilles' to further use his sandwich in an accusatory manner. 

Achilles made a noncommittal noise and said, "Maybe all the things in your backpack fell onto the sand and I rushed to put it all back. I didn't know the sandwiches were ruined." 

Patroclus' shoulders slumped and he let the sandwich fall onto the sand before he remembered he wasn't about to become one of those assholes that littered around the beach. He sighed, all the anger draining out of him in one big swoop, and he lay his head on the blonde's shoulder before he poked him accusingly in the chest. 

"You better go get us some proper food or I'm going to get angry again. I'm really fucking hungry, Achilles," Patroclus said, his words sounding much more threatening than he intended them to. 

Achilles immediately cupped Patroclus' cheek in his hand and lowered his head so that their foreheads were touching, their noses brushing against one another. He gave the tip of Patroclus' nose a quick kiss before he whispered, "I'm sorry, Patroclus. I'll get us some really good food." 

"I'm counting on it," Patroclus said, pecking Achilles' lips, because he couldn't help himself, before he gave his chest a soft shove. "Go. Now." 

Achilles nodded and was on his feet quickly, determination set on his shoulders. Patroclus figured all he had to do now was lay back and wait for his boyfriend to return with some delicious food.

**[ — — — — ]**

Patroclus had his earphones in, rapping along to the song playing loudly into his ears, and was too distracted to notice his boyfriend at first glance. His thoughts were focused on the lyrics, in timing his words perfectly, and he wasn't really thinking about much of anything else. It was only when the song ended, the beat in his ears turning into something much peppier and happier, that he actually noticed his boyfriend.

The blonde was standing not too far off, and it was almost as if sensing Patroclus’ eyes on him was what was finally able to help him pinpoint his location. His expression brightened and Patroclus felt his breath catch in his throat. Achilles was wearing the forest green button up shirt Patroclus loved so much, the sleeves rolled up, and the fabric tight in just the right places. His skin was the perfect shade of gold, like sunshine had seeped into his blood and was lighting him up from the inside. His hair, which was prettily disheveled on a normal basis, was wind swept and tousled, the curls shining blindingly under the rays of the sun. His nose and cheeks were tinged a rosy pink, his lips plump and red. As he got closer, the smile on his lips began to turn into a grin and the corner of his eyes were wrinkling and Patroclus felt ready to eat him. 

It didn't seem humanly possible that Patroclus had landed _Achilles_ as his boyfriend. It really was absurd. Patroclus was more convinced now than he had ever been that Achilles was not real. He certainly couldn't be human. Humans didn't look like the gods took special care to carve every single line of their body. 

"You're doing it again, Patroclus," Achilles said once he was only a step away. He sat down beside Patroclus, a bag of food dangling from two fingers, piercing green eyes solely on Patroclus. 

"Doing what?" he asked, feeling his voice tremble like an idiot's. He no longer knew where he wanted to stare at; the blonde’s hair, his eyes, his skin or his lips. 

"Staring at me as if you don't think I'm real," Achilles said, his eyes burning on Patroclus'. 

Patroclus let out a dry bark of a laugh and smoothly said, "That's because you're not real." 

"Well, your imaginary boyfriend just got you food from your favorite place in all of Phthia," Achilles said triumphantly, handing over the bag to Patroclus. 

"You're kidding," Patroclus said, but when he opened the bag and saw the contents inside, he was ready to bury his boyfriend in kisses. “Can we just come to the beach here like every fucking weekend from now on? It suits you and it makes you bring me delicious food.”  
Achilles just grinned at him like he knew perfectly well what an A Grade boyfriend he was. Patroclus elbowed him, just to keep him honest, before he pecked the blonde's lips. "Thanks for the food." 

"Of course. You know I don't like seeing you upset with me," the blonde said, nuzzling his face into Patroclus' neck. He felt his heart melt even more and had to give himself a hard mental shake so he could focus once more. 

He opened up the wrapping surrounding what he already knew would be a religious eating experience. There was this little sandwich shop close to where Achilles used to live with his father that made the single best sandwiches in all of existence and Patroclus was just about to take a bite of his favorite sandwich after years of abstaining from it. The moment he bit into the sandwich and began to chew, Patroclus felt like he had grown wings and had disappeared into the clouds and on to heaven. 

Patroclus took another bite of the sandwich and couldn't hold back the moan that left his lips at the taste. Achilles shook his head, pretending to look disappointed, and said, "And here I thought I was the only one who could urge those sounds out of you."

"You're a close second." Patroclus teased with a dismissive shrug, just so he could see Achilles' features disfigure in surprise and settle into offended. 

"Second? We'll see 'bout that, Patroclus. We'll see," Achilles muttered, eyes narrowing and his jaw setting stubbornly. 

Patroclus had to try really hard not to choke on a laugh, attempting to resume his consumption of the glorious sandwich in his hands, but also trying not to die by laughing as he ate. He had to admit it was adorable to see his boyfriend jealous over a _sandwich_. A fucking _sandwich_. You would think Achilles had more sense than that. Still, Patroclus wasn't about to say anything that might remove the stubborn set Achilles' jaw now had. 

Patroclus, instead, proceeded to continue making obscene noises as he continued to eat what remained of his sandwich. He made sure to meet Achilles' eyes when he let out another filthy moan, reveling in the way the blonde's nose seemed to twitch with every sound and how he managed to inch closer and closer to Patroclus. 

If the blonde had been as smart as Patroclus knew him to be, he would have fought fire with fire. He would have begun to imitate the sounds Patroclus was making and he would have been done for. Patroclus would have dashed for his belongings and ran towards their hotel room so he could kiss and touch and lick all those sounds out of Achilles, but that wasn't what happened. Achilles remained silent, his eyes becoming molted pools of green that burned Patroclus. 

Still, Patroclus could resist Achilles' bedroom eyes. He could manage that much. He kept his gaze square on the blonde's one and began to make the most ridiculous sounds he could produce, the ones he knew drove Achilles absolutely _mad_. The tactic did not fail. Achilles was positively eye fucking Patroclus. 

Patroclus smiled, pleased with his antics, and made a point of licking obscenely the juices that had dropped from the sandwich onto his fingers. Once that was done, he stood up and picked up his things as nonchalantly as he could manage. He was able to replicate the single most sweetest and innocent look he had and sent it in Achilles' direction. "Should I meet you back at the hotel room? A shower is sounding really fucking good right now. Maybe we could catch a movie later?" 

Much to Patroclus' surprise, Achilles managed to remain seated and not move to immediately follow him. "Sure, Patroclus. I'll meet you there in a few minutes." 

"Great," Patroclus said, beaming a smile in his boyfriend's direction before he walked back to the hotel, perfectly aware of the feeling of his boyfriend's hungry gaze on his back. 

Patroclus calmly made it back to their hotel room, trying not to shiver as the cold bit against his skin. As he opened the door to their room, Patroclus shuddered slightly before he shook off the feeling and threw his backpack into a corner of the room. Quietly, he stepped into the bathroom, getting into the shower fully clothed. He fiddled with the knobs to turn on the shower, taking a few seconds to figure it out, before the water that rained down on him was warm. 

When he succeeded in this, he stripped off easily, throwing his clothes into a corner of the shower floor so they wouldn't fill the bathroom floor with sand. With all his skin bare, the warm water felt like heaven and Patroclus unconsciously moved closer to it, allowing the spray to fall on the top of his hair. The tension he wasn't even aware was in his shoulders faded away when the warmth fell from his head, to his shoulders and slid down the rest of his body. 

He sighed contentedly and looked for the tiny bottle of shampoo the hotel provided. He squirted some of the substance into his hand and began to massage it into his own scalp. He found the soothing motions of his own fingers even more relaxing and began to absently hum a tune under his breath. He massaged the substance well into his hair, feeling the gentle scrape of the sand buried in his locks, and eventually gave his back to the spray of water so he could wash away the shampoo without it getting into his eyes. 

He was still humming a familiar tune, long fingers running over dark wet curls, when he felt warm hands take hold of his hips. He did not startle when those hands gently drew him closer and he felt a butterfly soft kiss on his neck. He sighed, further relief slipping into his bones, and he was rewarded with another soft kiss on the skin of his neck. He whispered, unable to conceal the adoration in his voice, "Achilles." 

Patroclus felt the blonde smile against his skin before his hands slipped to grab his buttocks and press their bodies flush against each other. His breath hitched as he felt their lengths slide against each other and he subconsciously bucked his hips forward, seeking more of the same feeling, letting out a small moan when Achilles' hold on his cheeks tightened and he gyrated his hips. 

"Patroclus," Achilles whispered breathlessly against the skin of his neck. 

Patroclus bucked his hips forward again, seeking the friction, the slide, the warmth, everything that was Achilles. The blonde continued to pepper Patroclus' neck with soft kisses, the touches almost impossible to perceive, as he moved their hips against one another in tandem. Patroclus, brain already only half functioning under the touch of Achilles, had his fingers stumble as they reached for the shampoo. 

When he wrapped his fingers around the small bottle, he squirted the substance directly onto Achilles' hair. Achilles rutted against him with new fervor and Patroclus felt his eyes roll back as a lewd moan rolled out of his lips. He was lost in the feeling for some seconds, his body craving more of it and growing more violent in its pursuit. 

It took him a moment, but eventually he remembered what he'd been planning to do before the feel of Achilles against him blinded all other thought from his mind. He buried his fingers into Achilles' golden locks and began his search of the shampoo he knew he'd poured over it as he massaged his boyfriend's scalp. The blonde groaned, his lips finally seeking Patroclus'. The second their lips touched, the grip Patroclus had on his hair tightened and for a moment he was lost in the sensation of his lips sliding against Achilles'. He kissed him with almost feverish desperation, mouth hungry for the taste of Achilles on his tongue. He gave the golden hair under his fingers a sharp tug and Achilles opened up to him willingly, moaning as Patroclus' tongue tasted him expertly. 

With his mouth finally busy with one of his favorite tasks, Patroclus focused his attention back on Achilles' hair. He deftly moved his fingers against the other’s scalp, feeling the bubbles forming under his fingertips, and began to move his hips in the same rhythm of his fingers. Achilles let out a groan, long and desperate, and Patroclus swallowed the sound, savoring it, resuming his movements with more fervor. 

Achilles was shuddering under his fingers and he easily pushed Patroclus against the shower wall, lips hot on his mouth and the grip on his ass nearly painful as he worked their hips together almost frantically. Patroclus, though, still had a little sense left in his brain. He pushed Achilles back under the spray of the water, working the shampoo out of the blonde's hair. The golden haired boy whimpered as Patroclus drew his lips away to properly wash off the hair product. 

Patroclus couldn't help the little laugh that left his lips, his features twisting into ones of pleasure when he felt Achilles take hold of him in his hand. His breath stammered, his fingers freezing for a second as Achilles expertly moved his hand against his length. The blonde easily developed a rhythm, matching his strokes to Patroclus' hitching breaths. Patroclus tried to focus back on his task, but his eyesight was darkening, all thoughts being consumed by Achilles' touches. He let out a filthy moan when Achilles pressed his thumb against his slit and he gripped Achilles' hair violently to draw their lips together. 

Their lips crashed against one another, teeth knocking against each other as they both sook purchase. Patroclus felt feverish, like his skin was on fire, and the more of Achilles' skin he felt on his, the more he felt like he was burning up. The closer he drew Achilles to him, the slower his ministrations became, taunting and infuriating. Patroclus groaned, "Just fuck me already, Achilles." 

Achilles hummed softly, shaking his head slowly. "Not quite yet. I had other plans first." 

"What?" Patroclus asked breathlessly, already craving back the warmth of Achilles' lips on his. 

Achilles grinned, slipping easily onto his knees. Patroclus let out a high whine just at the _thought_ , without the blonde having done anything except move his hands to Patroclus' hips. He spread his legs automatically, shuddering when Achilles gave his thigh a soft nip with his teeth. 

"Fuck, Achilles," Patroclus begged, his body burning with need. He already felt like his brain was going to short circuit. 

"This is just to remind you I'll always be your _first_ and _best_ ," Achilles whispered, taking hold of Patroclus and sending him a scorching smile that Patroclus would sell his soul to see over and over again every day of his fucking life until he no longer breathed. 

Just before Patroclus could begin to form coherent thoughts again, warmth wrapped around him and all thought flew from his mind. He moaned, the sound loud and obscene to his own ears but he could no longer care. His fingers found Achilles' head and he gripped the blonde curls, hand guiding the blonde's movements. Achilles slapped Patroclus' hand away and pulled away easily. He tightened his grip on Patroclus' hips and looked up at him, lips cherry red and excruciatingly tempting. 

"Let me take care of you my way, Patroclus, or I'll leave you here begging me to come back and finish you off," Achilles said in a sweet tone, emerald colored eyes reflecting pure innocence. 

Patroclus whined, long and unsatisfied and needy, leaning his head back on the tiled wall, letting his hands fall to his sides. Achilles smiled, "Smart choice, like always." 

Patroclus almost shushed him, snapping at the blonde to get on with it, but he felt Achilles' tongue on him and he was gone. All that was left was just Achilles. Achilles' fingers on him. Achilles' hot skin against his own. Achilles' tongue. Achilles' lips on him, around him, everywhere. Nothing else really mattered. The world could fall down around him and Patroclus only cared about _this_ , about this feeling, about the boy doing unspeakable things to him. All he cared about was having this every single day, the delirious feeling, the touches perfectly calculated, the absurd sounds leaving his throat, leaving Achilles' own mouth. _That_ was what he lived for.

**[ — — — — ]**

Patroclus was only sated when the two of them were in bed, Achilles inside him, the two of them spent, their limbs weak. He was only satisfied when Achilles' weight fell on him, the tips of his golden curls brushing against Patroclus' skin, the mess between their bellies dismissed and overlooked. Only then, with the sun still out and illuminating every corner of their room, the light shining off of Achilles' golden skin, did Patroclus feel truly satisfied.

He felt Achilles pull out slowly and he wrapped his legs around the golden boy's frame to keep him close. Achilles didn't even have it in him to chuckle, he just hummed, pleased with himself, and buried his face in Patroclus' neck. "Play with my hair." 

Patroclus didn't have to be told twice. He buried his fingers in the familiar strands and lazily toyed with them. He picked one strand to tug at it playfully before he wrapped it around a finger and eventually let it go. His movements were slow, the sensation of satisfaction making his movements lethargic. Achilles didn't mind though, he moved closer to the touches and tenderly kissed over and over the same spot on Patroclus' neck. 

Patroclus sighed, both wanting to never leave this spot but also feeling like they were supposed to be doing _something_. Achilles hummed low in his throat, his lips moving to brush over Patroclus' collar bone. "What are you thinking, Patroclus?" 

"That you need to wash off this mess off of both of us and then come back here so I can keep kissing your maddening lips so we can then leave this room at some point while it's still light out," Patroclus said, eyes fluttering closed as he felt Achilles press gentle kisses a long his collar bone. 

"Okay." Achilles easily slipped off of him, making his way to the bathroom. Patroclus felt himself shudder as he instantly felt the absence of Achilles' warm skin on his. He had half a mind to get up and follow after the blonde, but he chose to remain where he was. 

Patroclus needn't have worried. The blonde walked out of the bathroom seconds later, a wet towel in his hand, wiping clean his stomach. He looked up from his task when he was done, flashing Patroclus a blinding smile. Before Patroclus could recuperate from the sight of his gorgeous boyfriend, the blonde sat down on his lower belly. Carefully, as if he were dealing with fine china, Achilles wiped off the mess on Patroclus' belly. His touches were careful and precise and when he was done, he threw the soiled towel into a corner of the room. 

Patroclus put his hands on Achilles' hips, rubbing circles onto the skin with his thumbs. Achilles settled over him, his face mere inches from Patroclus' and said, "I was promised kisses. I've come to take what is rightfully mine." 

"Then take it," Patroclus said, the corners of his lips turning up into a smile. 

"Oh, I will," Achilles said, lips pressing against Patroclus'. 

Patroclus tightened his hold on his boyfriend and forgot about anything that wasn't him. He wasn't sure how long they were like that, kissing lazily, fingers tracing shapes onto their already buzzing skin, nibbling on each other's lips, sucking on bottom lips, tongues seeking more and more of the other. They kissed like they had all the time in the world. 

It was when Patroclus' lips finally felt raw that he pulled away. He probably would have kept kissing the blonde until it killed him, but he was beginning to grow hungry once more and already a childish but innocent idea was blooming in his mind. 

Achilles wasn't ready to stop, his lips pecking Patroclus' before they moved down his jaw, but he gently nudged him aside. "Let's get dressed. I'm starving and we need to go to the ridiculously expensive souvenir shop this hotel surely has." 

Achilles rolled off of him and moved to his side of the bed. Patroclus got to his feet, searching through his bag for some clean clothes and his other swim trunks. He was already half dressed when Achilles decided to get a move on and get dressed himself. Only a couple of minutes rolled by before the two of them were ready to leave. 

"What did you have in mind? Food first? Later?" Achilles asked, putting an arm around Patroclus' shoulders. 

"Later. Let's go to the souvenir shop first," Patroclus said, offering the blonde a genuine smile. Achilles brightened at the sight and pressed a quick kiss on Patroclus' cheek before he led them out of the room. 

The two of them made it easily to the lobby, and they didn't even have to ask to find the souvenir shop. Every hotel in Phthia had one as it was a common tourist location. People from all over loved the place and wanted to take a little piece of it with them. 

They entered the shop, Achilles slipping his arm from around Patroclus and choosing to instead intertwine their fingers together. Patroclus held on tight, trying to ignore the stare from the woman working in the shop. Instead, he focused on searching for what he came for. He only had to walk around briefly, with the stabbing gaze of the woman behind him, before he found what he wanted. 

A smile broke across his face when he found the different choices of buckets to make sand castles. He grabbed all his favorite ones and turned to face his boyfriend. Achilles smiled warmly, eyes shining. "You're so cute." 

The blonde kissed him quickly, but Patroclus was sure he was not imagining that he felt a new set of eyes on them. He turned back to look and moved just in time to see a young employee stumble over her own two feet as she tried to look away from the two of them and also move away from their line of sight. She cleared her throat, smiling nervously, before her eyes flickered over the two of them like she saw a math equation she couldn't quite understand but somehow managed to find compelling. 

"Are you okay? Need any help with anything?" Achilles asked, turning on the charm without even trying to. 

"Me?" she squealed, her voice reaching a whole other level of high pitch. "No. No. I don't need any help. I'm just here to take over the shift." 

"Okay. We can wait for you to set up before we pay," Achilles said, gesturing to the buckets Patroclus held in hand. 

Her eyes shifted toward what Achilles was pointing at and she nodded. "Right. Obviously. I'll just be a minute." 

She looked like she was ready to break out in a sweat from the nerves. Patroclus watched her approach the other woman and they exchanged a few words. Patroclus felt Achilles take hold of his hand once more and he intertwined their fingers quickly, seeking the comfort of the blonde's hand in his. He subconsciously moved closer to Achilles and felt the employee spare another nervous glance in their direction. He did not fail to notice the blush that crept up her cheeks when her eyes zeroed in on their linked hands. 

After another excruciating moment where Patroclus wished he could just run out of the shop, the other employee left and the young woman motioned them forward. Patroclus and Achilles moved as a unit as they stepped towards the cash register. He handed over the buckets, trying not to look self-conscious, and tried on a smile for size. To his surprise, the girl seemed to relax visibly at the sight of it. 

She called out the price, the sound of her words completely going over Patroclus' head, but it didn't matter. Achilles handed over the cash with a smile, rejecting the plastic bag the girl offered them. The blonde grabbed the buckets and said, "Have a nice afternoon." 

"Same to you guys," she said, her voice sounding more normal if still slightly pitchy. 

Achilles easily led them out of the shop and said, "I'm guessing we're going back to the beach now?" 

"Yes," Patroclus said, feeling himself relax as he no longer felt like he was being scrutinized. Even though he knew the employee was just nervous, he still felt more comfortable away from prying eyes. 

The blonde nodded and they headed toward the beach. This time, the two of them didn't look for beach chairs and simply settled on the sand, not really giving two shits about the fact they had already showered and were just getting themselves covered in sand once more. 

"Are we seriously going to do this?" Achilles asked, but he was smiling, already taking hold of some sand in his hands. 

"For old time's sake. We're definitely doing this," Patroclus said, a smile on his lips. 

"Competition or are we working together?" 

"Working together," Patroclus replied immediately, grabbing a bucket for his own so he could get to work. He handed over another one of the buckets to Achilles and the blonde accepted it without a word. 

At first, the two young men worked silently together. They were taking the task at hand seriously, like it was serious work to make perfect sand castles. They were determined, hands working not exactly quickly but purposefully and efficiently. They lost their way, though, when a group of guys and girls around their same age started playing music loudly. 

Achilles didn't need any convincing to start singing along to the music. He made a point of being loud and starting to sway or move his head to the beat of the music. It took Patroclus a little more convincing, but eventually he was whispering the lyrics under his breath. Unsatisfied with this, Achilles grabbed some sand and threw it at him saying, "Louder." 

"No." 

Another fistful of sand landed on him. "Sing louder." 

"Not gonna happen." This time, Patroclus threw some sand towards his boyfriend. He was certain they looked silly, but the thought seemed insignificant. 

Achilles only took this, the act of Patroclus throwing sand at him, as a challenge. He crawled over to Patroclus' side, sitting beside him and beginning to sing obnoxiously loud. Even as he did that, trying to make an ass of himself, his singing came out perfectly in tune, his voice clear and pristine. He threw another fistful of sand at Patroclus before he threw an arm around his shoulders and began to sway them both from side to side until Patroclus finally caved and began to sing along with him. 

After that? Well, they both lost any fear of making fools of themselves. They continued to sing along to all the songs the others played, moving their bodies to the beat as they absently kept making sand castles. In between the singing and the building, they threw fistfuls of sand at each other which landed in their hair, their chests, even their mouths. 

Patroclus was laughing, the sound now nearly uncontrollable as he watched Achilles belt out the lyrics of the song playing as he ardently worked on making a sand castle. His laughter only turned into a fit of giggles when Achilles flipped over the bucket and what came out was crumbled ruins. Achilles flipped him the bird at Patroclus' reaction, but there was no heat in the gesture. 

Patroclus was still trying to reel in fits of laughter when he heard his phone. He immediately knew who it was. When he picked up the phone and saw that Briseis was trying to video chat with him, he accepted the call. Her image came up on the screen and her expression twisted into one of confusion when she saw the state Patroclus was in. 

"What have you and Achilles been doing?" Briseis asked, eyes looking at him suspiciously. 

"Making sand castles. Look at our kingdom," Patroclus said cheerfully, pointing the camera at the work of art he had made with his boyfriend before he showed the failed castle Achilles had made. 

"Where's Achilles? Did he make that masterpiece?" She smirked and the expression only deepened when Achilles moved close enough to Patroclus to show up on the frame of the screen. 

"I will have you know that is a fine castle. Not everyone can see its charm," Achilles said defensively, a muscle in his jaw twitching slightly. 

"Clearly I am the one who is blind," Briseis said, her gaze focusing back on Patroclus. "So, when are you planning to see She Who Must Not Be Named? I'm sure she already knows you guys are there." 

Patroclus chuckled drily and said, "Probably tomorrow or the day after that. Hopefully never. I was planning to convince Achilles to just go by himself." 

Achilles pouted, Patroclus could _sense_ the expression more than see it and he felt sand covered arms wrap around him. He nuzzled his face into the crook of Patroclus' neck and said, "Is seeing my mother together all that terrible?" 

"Yes," Patroclus and Briseis said in unison. 

Achilles huffed, clearly unsatisfied with this answer, and said, "How else is she supposed to get used to the idea that I plan to keep you forever?" 

"I don't know, Achilles. She's had years to get used to my mere presence and she hasn't yet. I'm not convinced she'll cheer and throw confetti at us in our wedding," Patroclus said, trying to keep his tone light and playful but the words still came out more serious than he intended them to. 

"Did you guys get engaged in the not even two days I was away from you? If you did, I'm going to be pissed. Major life decisions between you two aren't done without my knowledge and or my presence," Briseis said, managing to retain Patroclus' attention again. 

"No. We did not get engaged," Patroclus replied, eyes focusing back on the image of Briseis in his phone. 

"Good. I'm glad that's out of the way. Well, I just called to check up on you guys to make sure you were both still alive since _no one texts me. What the fuck?_ " 

Patroclus laughed at her words and gave his head a little shake. She was right, of course. He always liked to keep in touch with her at least once daily but that had sort of gone out the window since he started packing for their trip. "Sorry, Bri. You're totally right. I'll keep you posted." 

"Good. Bye, lovers." She blew them a kiss before she stuck her tongue out at them and hung up. 

Patroclus slipped the phone back into his backpack and kissed the top of Achilles' head as the blonde still had his arms wrapped around his waist and his face buried in his neck. Achilles sighed before he spoke, "I'll go by myself, Ro. I'll go visit my mom alone." 

"Thanks, Achilles." Patroclus pressed another kiss to the crown of Achilles' head, gently stroking the blonde's arm with a finger. 

"I just wish—" Achilles took a moment to think, his words drifting away from him. "I just wish it could be different. I wish she could see how happy you make me and for that to be enough." 

Patroclus didn't say anything. There was nothing he could say to that. He knew that if it were up to Achilles, his mom and dad and him would all be having family dinners every week. Patroclus knew the three of them were the most important people in his life and he wanted them all to get along. It just wasn't meant to be. 

"Let's go get some food, Achilles." 

Achilles pulled away from Patroclus and shook his head. "No way. We're finishing our kingdom and then sending Briseis a picture so she can see true beauty." 

Patroclus laughed and nodded. "Okay, Achilles. Sounds like a plan."


	3. Chapter 3

It was the second morning now that Thetis stole Achilles away from Patroclus early in the morning. He knew why Achilles left to go see her, it was his mother after all, but he still thought about convincing him to stay. He always chose otherwise. He knew that now that the two of them were at uni, Achilles barely got to see his mom and that didn't sit easily with him. So, Patroclus would just keep still as Achilles got ready to leave. He kept his eyes closed, managing to leave his breathing even and slow, and just waited for the departure. Achilles would softly brush away the curls from his forehead and kiss him tenderly. Then his touch would retract and Patroclus would hear as Achilles wrote down a note saying he'd gone off to see his mother. 

Patroclus tried really hard for it not to get to him, but he didn't like spending time away from Achilles. It was different with uni. While at uni, the two of them had courses to take and Achilles had practice while Patroclus had to work. Now, though, every missed moment was an ache in Patroclus' chest. He'd asked for this free week from work because Achilles had wanted him to. He would gladly do it _again_ and _again_ , but it didn't make the absence of his boyfriend any better. 

As always, he called the one person he could count on when he was alone and/or bored. She never failed him and that was why they'd grown to be such close friends. He could trust her, he knew, wholeheartedly. She answered his call on the third ring, voice coming out slightly muffled. "Hey, to what do I owe the pleasure?" 

Patroclus opened his mouth to reply, but already she was taking the words away from him. He couldn't say he was surprised. She knew him nearly as well as Achilles did. "Is lover gone? Is that what's going on?" 

Patroclus sighed, leaning back on the beach mat he had dragged down with him all by himself. He ran a hand through his dark curls, feeling exhausted, and slipped on his shades. He stared up at the all familiar sky that had been all blues and white fluffy clouds for his stay at Phthia with Achilles. "Yes, he's gone." 

"Is he visiting She Who Must Not Be Named?" Briseis asked, her voice coming in clear as she probably stopped doing whatever she had been doing when she answered the phone and properly grabbed the device in her hand. 

"Yeah, he left this morning to see her. He probably won't be back 'till lunchtime 'cause that's when his dad will come over to the beach so we can eat together," Patroclus replied, unable to conceal the disappointment in his voice. He had no problem with seeing Peleus, the man was kind to him and had not even seemed surprised months before when Achilles had told him they'd been dating. As a matter of fact, he said he'd thought they'd been dating for years now but were just too afraid to say so. The problem right now for Patroclus was that _Achilles was not there with him_ and that made him feel like there was a part of him missing. 

"It's your fourth day over there and _now_ is that you guys will finally see him? Here I thought he was your favorite parent, Patroclus. That's not how you treat favorites," Briseis said, and he could almost imagine her sitting down on her dorm room bed and tucking her legs underneath herself. 

"I know. I know. We've been distracted," Patroclus mumbled, managing to feel scolded even though Briseis said the words lightly. He knew she didn't mean anything by the words. She was just trying to lighten up his mood. 

"I can only imagine why," she said in an airy tone, the images in her mind probably scarily accurate about what exactly they'd been doing. 

"So, how's it been back at the dorm without us? You miss us yet?" Patroclus asked, closing his eyes as he turned to face the sun. His skin already felt warm and toasty from the exposure, but he allowed himself to revel more comfortably in the feeling. 

"Boring as it always is without you. Do you know that Agamemnon and Odysseus have been trying to get me to go clubbing with them? As if I don't know that triples my chances of being kidnapped and held for ransom." 

Patroclus couldn't hold back the laugh that burst out of him. He could imagine it. The two boys knocking on Briseis door and trying to convince her to go _anywhere_ with them. He imagined the sharp words she probably used to make it clear to them she would not be joining them. The thing with Briseis was that as long as Patroclus was there, she could _tolerate_ anyone that was thrown her way. Whenever Patroclus wasn't around, Briseis probably treated the other boys as filth. She had already more than once disclosed to him that she only tolerated them because she loved him and he loved Achilles and the others just sort of came with the package. 

"You know I would make Achilles pay the ransom, right? No, better yet!" Patroclus giggled at the thought. "I would make the boys set up a bikini car wash so they could pay the ransom to get you back. I would take loads of pictures of them in the little pieces of bikini and frame them so you could hang them on your walls like the trophies they would be." 

"Excellent plan! I'm considering getting kidnapped just so I can see that. It seems worth it," she joked, laughter mingling in her words. 

Patroclus tried to quiet down his laughter and said, "In all seriousness, though, don't go out with them. They're not all bad, but I prefer to think that I'll come back to find you still safe and sound. Heaven forbid you actually go out with them and _like_ them. I think that would be worse." 

Briseis laughed, the sound coming nearly as sharply and brightly as if she'd been there beside him in that moment. He could almost imagine that she really was. "Now wouldn't _that_ be a nice twist?" 

"No, that'd be horrifying," he said, getting to his feet as the heat of the sun began to feel a little too excruciating. He took off his shirt and folded it neatly on top of his backpack. Sparing his belongings one last glance, he began to walk towards the shore. 

"It would be. Please kill me if that ever happens. The Briseis you know would be dead anyway." 

"But seriously, Bri. What have you been doing these days?" Patroclus asked, feet getting damp as he walked along the shore, dying waves crashing gently against his feet. 

"Teaching myself yet another language. It's going great so far since I have nothing better to do. I can already hold a shitty conversation with you in Welsh. Want me to prove it to you?" she asked, her light voice managing to calm down Patroclus' fraying nerves further. There were many reasons why Briseis was his closest friend and one of them was that she managed to make the absence of Achilles feel less like a gaping hole in his chest. 

"Please don't. Honestly, Bri, why not do something that isn't exactly like what you do when you're taking classes at uni? I'd rather spend needless amount of time at the movies. Or learning how to crochet. Or catching up on every TV series I haven't been able to watch because uni is soul consuming." 

"First of all, I don't let uni consume my soul as much as you do. It still sucks me dry, but I have _some_ sense of self preservation. Secondly, learning to crochet is something I would do with _you_ and _you_ are not here. Third, do you really think I haven't stayed up all night watching Netflix? There's only so much I give a shit about watching and I don't want to watch Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson _not being friends_ by myself," she replied, voice slightly heated but not really angry. The thing about Briseis was that she didn't like being left behind. She preferred knowing they were all in the same location and _choosing_ not to spend time with each other than being miles away. 

"We'll be back soon enough, but you seriously need to find better hobbies. How about trying some new recipes? You got a key to our place and we left the fridge stocked up," Patroclus cheerfully replied, content with having a decent idea. The less unhappy Briseis was, the better he felt. 

"You just want to have some of my delicious food for when you get back," she said smartly, and he could picture clearly the smirk on her lips. 

"'Maybe. What's wrong with that? You know Achilles and I will be more than grateful," he said, trying to butter up his words as much as possible. He knew she didn’t really need much convincing. 

"Spare me. I'll do it, but only 'cause it's not a half bad idea." He could already hear her getting up and looking for her bag so she could head out of the dorm. At least he'd given her some purpose. 

"Is lover still not there with you?" she asked, as he heard her keys jingling in her hands. 

"No."

"Will you be okay if I leave you? I can keep you on the line if you still need me," Briseis said, her voice getting softer. She wasn't Achilles' biggest fan, but she respected how much Patroclus loved him. She understood that there was just no changing that part of who Patroclus was. 

"I'm fine. I'll talk to you later, okay?" he said, trying to make his voice sound as convincing as he possibly could. 

"Sure. Bye, Patroclus." 

"Bye." Then the conversation was over. The call had been ended and Patroclus was all on his own again. He sighed, casting his eyes down to the sand at his feet. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head before he realized how far away from his belongings he was. He stared back at the distance, having not even realized how far out he'd gone. 

Shaking his head at his own absentmindedness, he turned on his heel and headed back to the spot he had chosen as his own.

**[ — — — — ]**

When Achilles draped his arms around Patroclus' neck, he felt an instant wave of relief. He sighed and gave Achilles' arms a soft squeeze. The blonde released him, but only to take his place beside him. He threw his much smaller backpack somewhere on the mat beside him and sat down. He sat so that their sides touched, the proximity comforting and filling Patroclus with the feeling of warmth.

"How's your mom?" Patroclus asked, eyes unable to stare off at the sea and instead focusing on his boyfriend. He chose to stare at the golden curls of Achilles’ hair as he asked the question, not quite sure he could manage meeting those green eyes right at that second. 

"Good," he replied, his eyes trained on their hands which rested side by side. 

Patroclus was going to attempt to reply something, try to be the ever polite boyfriend, but his words were cut off before he could even possibly form them. Achilles turned sharply to face him, his face lighting up as he remembered something. "I got you something! Look!" 

Achilles turned back to his backpack and took out something from it. He held it out in front of Patroclus like a priced trophy and, in a way, it sort of was. Held firmly between Achilles' fingers was a beautiful and huge seashell. It was perfectly intact. The surface of it was not chipped, no smooth lines left jagged, its surface bone white. It was stunning. Patroclus couldn't stop staring at it and at the way the blonde held it. He didn't know how Achilles could have found such a perfect shell all by himself and have it be natural. 

"You found this?" Patroclus asked, unable to mask the surprise in his voice as he reached out for the beautiful shell. 

"Yeah. I found it yesterday morning, but completely forgot to give it to you. Do you like it?" Achilles asked, the hope in his eyes almost childish in its innocence. 

Patroclus held the shell with care and nodded, a kind smile forming on his lips, his cheeks turning a soft pink. He moved closer to Achilles and gave the blonde a small kiss. Achilles laughed, happier now that his gesture had been appreciated. "Good. I thought you'd like to add it to your collection." 

"Definitely," Patroclus said, looking down at the shell, his curls absently brushing against Achilles' chin. The blonde ran his fingers through the dark strands and tightened his hold on them slightly just so he could make the dark haired boy look at him. 

Their eyes met and simultaneously they grinned, looking utterly love struck. Patroclus raised an eyebrow and asked, "You're gonna kiss me or what?" 

Patroclus' answer to his question was the feel of warm lips on his. He gently set aside the shell on the beach mat so it wouldn't get accidentally crushed and wrapped his arms around Achilles' waist so he could feel the warmth of the blonde seep into his skin. Achilles bit Patroclus' bottom lip, his grip on the dark curls tightening a fraction. Patroclus groaned, his instincts telling him to draw closer to the blonde, settle comfortably on his lap and kiss him stupid, but the sensible part of him reminded him there was only so much they could do in public. 

It was this rational side of Patroclus that made him draw away from his boyfriend before he craved to take things even further. Achilles made a sound of complaint, lips chasing after Patroclus', hands gripping his hips. Before Patroclus knew what was happening, the hands on his hips comfortably lifted his weight and dragged him so his body lay neatly on top of Achilles'. Patroclus, surprised by the movement, crumpled on top of Achilles, their foreheads knocking together harshly. 

"Ow," Achilles said, rubbing his forehead as Patroclus began to laugh. Patroclus lay his head comfortably on Achilles' chest and began to draw onto the exposed golden skin of his boyfriend, fingers absently tracing invisible equations there. 

"That's what happens when you manhandle me: you hurt yourself." 

Achilles scoffed and shook his head. Patroclus felt fingers settle into his hair once more and tried not to laugh as Achilles twirled strands of his hair in his fingers. "That's a lie and you know it. I manhandle you on a nearly daily basis and no one gets hurt." 

Patroclus shrugged, choosing not to say anything back. He was planning to just relax and lay there on top of Achilles, the sun burning hot on his back, but then he got an idea. He rolled off of Achilles, searching in his backpack and looking for the Bluetooth speaker he knew he had packed with him. The thing had been brought as more of a precaution than anything. Patroclus was usually more than happy to listen to whatever anyone else at the beach decided to play, but so far no one seemed to have been hit with the need to play some music. At the lack of it, he decided to put on some music of his own. 

After a song started to play, he turned to face Achilles again. The blonde had settled comfortably on the mat, green eyes staring at Patroclus with interest. Patroclus, without explanation, gave Achilles a push so he could roll him onto the sand. Achilles did not put up any resistance and surprised Patroclus by allowing him to roll him all the way onto the sand. He grinned when Achilles' whole body lay on the sand, green eyes peering at him with interest and curiosity. He figured now that he had Achilles right where he wanted him, it was okay to tell the blonde what he had in mind. 

"Wait right there. I'm going to turn you into a pretty merman," Patroclus declared, reaching out for one of the buckets he had brought down from their hotel room with him. 

"And somehow _I'm_ the five year old?" 

"Are you gonna lay there and complain or are you going to let me do this?" Patroclus asked, already on his feet. He sent the blonde a pleading look, even though he knew it was unnecessary, but only so he could soften up his heart even more. 

"Go get some water. I'm ready," Achilles said, gesturing Patroclus away with a hand. 

Patroclus didn't need further sign of approval. He jogged toward the shore and filled up the bucket with as much water as it could carry without spilling. His return to their little spot was much slower than his departure, but he made it back without a problem and set down the bucket of water close to Achilles. 

The blonde had comfortably laid down on the sand and grinned at Patroclus when he saw him. Patroclus smiled back at him and turned up the music playing on the speakers before he sat down beside the blonde to begin his work of art. He began by pouring some of the salt water on the sand so it would become a pliable substance. 

"Where are you going to start?" Achilles asked, green eyes staring as Patroclus took some of the wet sand in his hand. 

"I'm starting where every great artist should." The plan had been to deliver the words with a straight face, but that didn't exactly work out. He ended up _giggling_ as he threw the fistful of sand over Achilles' crotch. 

The blonde shook his head in amazement at him and said with a dramatic flair, "Oh, Patroclus, so sweet, so pure. Untainted by life." 

Patroclus threw another fistful of sand, but now onto the blonde's chest. Achilles laughed and worked to spread it over his chest. "Sure. A hundred percent angel material right here." 

Achilles laughed, eyes crinkling at the corners. Patroclus, instead of laughing, began to sing along to the song that started coming from the speakers. He was sure he must be, apart from the singers, the only other human who had learned the full lyrics to the song. He thought that could have been something to be embarrassed about, but he chose not to be. 

Achilles, of course, was more than happy to see Patroclus sing even though he was terrible at it. Still, he continued with his singing as he progressed in the art of covering his boyfriend in sand. Whenever he ran out of wet sand, he poured some of the water onto it and continued on. 

Achilles didn't even bother to help him. All he did was pretend to sing along to the song. The blonde only knew the chorus of the song and was familiar with the beat. It didn't stop him, though, from joining in with Patroclus. The dark haired boy sang the lyrics in perfect timing, even if his pitch was horrifying, but the blonde wasn’t exactly doing the same thing. 

Patroclus wasn't able to restrain his laughter as Achilles made faces as he sang along to the chorus. The expressions twisted up his face in hysterical ways and Patroclus just couldn't keep a straight face. Still, he tried to keep singing as he worked hard on coating Achilles' legs properly with sand so he could then start making the shape of the tail. 

The song ended, but that did not put an end to Patroclus' terrible singing. All this managed was to get the two of them singing in mismatched harmony to the lyrics of the following song. Patroclus had to constantly fight against the urge to close his eyes as he sang along. He needed to keep his eyes open so he could work on the tail. 

The more into his task he got, the louder he began to sing. In that moment, he didn't care if anyone started staring at the two of them because of his terrible singing and Achilles' excellent one. He gladly continued on with his singing as he perfected the details on the tail. He could feel sweat coating his back and wiped his face with the back of his arm before he could feel the droplets dripping down his face. 

"How am I looking?" Achilles asked, drumming his fingers onto his stomach. It was the only movement he was allowed since if he moved more than that the sand would begin to crack. 

Patroclus sat back slightly, taking in the sight of his hard work and nodding. He still wasn't done quite yet as he was determined about drawing scales onto the tail, but he didn't have to say that. He leaned over Achilles to give him a small peck on the lips and offer him a kind smile. "You make a beautiful merman. Now keep singing to me. It's encouraging." 

Patroclus sat back down, taking a new fistful of sand. Achilles, not needing to be told twice to sing, continued to do so as he easily picked up the spot where the song was in after their brief pause of conversation. 

Around fifteen minutes later, Patroclus had covered Achilles from chest to feet in sand. The tail was perfected, the scales having been drawn with Patroclus' pinky finger as he couldn’t find a pencil or twig or _anything_ useful in sight. He still managed to do an excellent job with his pinky finger, though, and he was feeling rather pleased with himself. 

Patroclus washed off the sand in his hands with the water left in the bucket that he'd had to refill about three times as he covered Achilles with sand. With his hands clean, he picked up his phone so he could take a picture of his boyfriend. He cheered, "Smile!" 

Achilles gave him his most ridiculous grin before he settled down into a more genuine smile. Patroclus probably snapped more pictures than should be allowed, but he didn't care. He sat down again beside Achilles so he could snap a picture of them together. 

"I didn't even have to call you boys to be able to find you." 

Patroclus dropped his phone instantly, the sound of the voice startling him. He picked up his phone quickly, rescuing it from the unforgiving sand, and was surprised to find Peleus standing a couple of feet away from them. He shouldn't have been shocked, though, because it was probably already time for them to meet up anyway. 

"Hi, dad," Achilles said with a face that said he would be waving if he weren't buried in sand. 

"Hello to you both. Do you want me to take a picture before Achilles gets up and says hi to me properly?" Peleus asked, gesturing with a hand toward Patroclus' phone. The man had his other hand busy carrying a large bag which Patroclus was sure contained food for the three of them. 

"Yeah, thanks," Patroclus quickly replied, handing over his phone and sitting crossed leg beside Achilles on the sand. 

The blonde grinned widely, the expression making something inside Patroclus soften. Patroclus pushed back his sunglasses to the top of his head and smiled in Peleus' direction. He held up two fingers in a peace sign, regardless that no one fucking did that anymore, and stared in the direction of his phone's camera. 

"Done. Here you go, Patroclus." Peleus offered back the phone and Patroclus took it gratefully. He set it neatly beside his new seashell and turned around just in time to see Achilles stand up. 

The blonde shook off the heavy sand, but was still left caked in it. Somehow, he still managed to look utterly irresistible covered almost from head to toe in a nice layer of sand. Patroclus tried not to stare and, instead, walked over to Peleus to take the bag from his hand as he knew what the blonde had in mind before he even did it. 

Just as expected, the moment Patroclus was out of the way with the bag of food, Achilles ran towards his dad and wrapped his arms around him in a bear hug. Peleus laughed, bemused, and hugged his son back. The two of them stood like that for a few long seconds, their arms squeezing tight around the other. "I've missed you, son. How’s everything been?" 

Achilles drew away, a mischievous grin forming on his lips when he noticed he had covered his father's clothes in sand. "I've missed you too, dad. Everything's been great! Let's sit. I don't want the food to get cold." 

Patroclus, at the words, sat down with his legs tucked beneath him and pulled the large bag, which was probably overflowing with food, closer to him. He saw Achilles wash off the sand in his hands in the bucket of water he had left unmoved and was surprised when he sat down across from him still utterly caked in sand. Peleus sat beside his son, seemingly undisturbed by the state his son was in. "How was school? I'm guessing the semester ended well?" 

Patroclus opened the bag and began to distribute the food as the blonde answered. He was used to this dynamic when he was with Achilles and Peleus. The older man would mostly speak to Achilles, but Patroclus was more than welcome to participate. If at any point he wanted to interrupt, he knew the man would not be upset. He knew eventually the man would ask him questions directly. It had been this way since Achilles and he had been children. Nothing had changed even as his relationship with Achilles had. 

"Yeah, everything was great!" 

"It was another year of victory for the fifty different teams Achilles is a member of," Patroclus joked, opening a bowl of soup he'd found at the bottom of the bag. 

"I don't expect anything less. I went to as many as the games as I could," Peleus replied, smiling in Patroclus' direction. 

Patroclus dug in as the other two exchanged some more words, unsurprised at the delicious taste of the soup he had chosen. The food had probably been made by the personal chef Peleus had. It was just as glorious as he last remembered. The only food that rivaled its taste was the one Briseis occasionally made for the three of them.

Patroclus thoughts slowly began to drift away from the conversation as he ate. He finished the soup rather quickly and was now eating some fried chicken that was somehow still incredibly hot to the touch. It led him to wonder if Peleus had run to meet them as fast as he could just so the food remained hot. He doubted it, but he also couldn't imagine how else it could retain its warmth. 

Patroclus was drawn from his thoughts as he felt a foot nudge him on the leg. His eyes flickered immediately towards Achilles who was still busy speaking with his father, but took a moment to send him a look with eyes sparkling with deviousness. The blonde kept his leg outstretched so he could continue nudging and poking Patroclus with it. Patroclus didn't complain, trying to focus back on the conversation. 

Apparently, Achilles wasn't the only one who noticed Patroclus had been distracted. Peleus turned to look at Patroclus and asked, "How have you two been? Have you been enjoying your stay here?" 

"Yeah, it's been great. It's been perfect," Patroclus answered after he swallowed a mouthful of food. He followed up his reply with a nod and a small encouraging smile. 

"What about school? Achilles tells me it keeps you busy," Peleus said before he searched in the bag for some more food. 

"Definitely, but it's great. I love it. I'm just glad to find where I fit, you know?" Patroclus took another piece of chicken and busied himself eating it, hoping this would be a big enough signal for the older man to take his focus away from him. No such luck. 

"I hope you're not planning to leave my son. You can be honest with me, Patroclus. I won't tell Achilles a thing if you are." 

Patroclus snorted, trying to hold back a full laugh. He had never heard a more ridiculous thing in his life. There was no _him_ leaving _Achilles_. The whole idea was bizarre and absurd. He'd been waiting _years_ to finally be where he was now with Achilles. He wasn't about to let it go now or ever. 

His eyes drifted from Peleus and Achilles and back again, looking for confirmation that the question had been serious. When he was sure it was, he knew he could have given out a funny answer but he opted toward sincerity. "I'm not planning to leave him. I'm pretty sure I'm incapable of doing that." 

"Good. You're family and I _expect_ it to stay that way," he said, sending Achilles a look that positively told the blonde he better not screw up his relationship with Patroclus. 

"Oh, it will. He's stuck with me forever," Achilles replied. 

The next thing happened much too suddenly for Patroclus. One second he was just about to take another bite of chicken and the next sand covered arms had wrapped around him, weight being thrown on him so suddenly that he fell sideways. 

"Achilles!" Patroclus exclaimed, eyes growing wide at the suddenness of the whole thing. 

Achilles only laughed and started to throw air kisses all around Patroclus’ face and neck as he cheered, "Mine! Mine! Mine! Always mine!" 

"You're impossible!" 

"Impossibly _hot_. I know." 

What was Patroclus supposed to say to that? Was he supposed to disagree? Not a chance. Was his boyfriend totally a five year old child? Definitely, not that it changed anything.

**[ — — — — ]**

It was the last day of Patroclus' and Achilles' stay at the hotel in Phthia. The two of them checked out early, stashing away their baggage in Achilles' Jeep and parking it out of the hotel and closer to where they would be in the beach. They did not stash away all their beach stuff, though, as they planned to take advantage of every second they had left of the beach.

The two of them set up their beach mat in a sunny spot, uncaring about looking for shade. Patroclus looked for his sun glasses in his backpack and slipped them on. He looked out at the ocean, feeling a sense of calm slip over him but also some nostalgia. He wished he didn't have to leave. 

Achilles, sensing his feelings, stood before him and offered him a hand to get up. He motioned back with his blonde head of hair and said, "Let's go for a walk." 

Patroclus stared at the extended hand for only a second before he took it. Once on his feet, he reached for one of the buckets they'd used before to make sand castles but which now held his secret stash of seashells. He wasn't sure how he'd managed to keep Achilles from peeking into it, but the bucket had been slowly filling up ever since they bought it and Patroclus couldn't seem to stop. 

Achilles didn't even spare the bucket a second thought, only intertwining their fingers before flashing Patroclus a smile. Hand in hand, the two of them set out on a walk. The beach was rather full so their joined hands were separated more than once as they encountered running children, volleyballs flying over their heads, ping pong balls flying by between them as people didn't stop playing to let them pass. 

All the while, Patroclus occasionally stopped as he saw a perfect seashell, its shape undisturbed, and added it to his collection. At some point, more and more people came out and music began to play and Achilles took this as his cue to start chasing after Patroclus while he sang at the top of his lungs. His voice smoothly changed from one song to another. 

Patroclus, at being pursued, tried to run as fast as he could without losing any of his precious seashells. He wasn't sure when it happened, but one moment he was simply hearing Achilles sing as he chased after him, and the next he, too, was singing. 

He was sure they must have looked insane, but it didn't really matter. He felt free and happy, his off-key voice singing along to all familiar lyrics. He didn't even manage to be fake upset when Achilles finally decided to catch up with him and wrap his arms around him in a tight embrace. He just laughed, loud and happy and relaxed. He felt Achilles lift him off the sand and tried not to yelp. 

" _Achilles_ , put me down," Patroclus said, voice wavering but laughter still clear in his voice. 

Achilles, the bastard, whispered real close into Patroclus' ear, "Are you sure that's what you want, Daddy?" 

Patroclus kicked back at Achilles just out of spite, biting one of the arms that was wrapped tightly around him. "That fucking kink. No, Achilles. Just no." 

"Just no?" He teased, laughter painting his words. 

"Achilles, come on." 

Achilles set him down unceremoniously, turning him around so he could press a kiss against his lips. Patroclus' shoulders relaxed, arms wrapping loosely around the blonde's waist. The blonde nibbled on his bottom lip and Patroclus couldn't hold back the happy sigh that escaped his lips. 

"Get a room!" Someone shouted, lighthearted. 

Patroclus pulled away from Achilles, feeling his face grow hot, the color probably spreading over his chest. He couldn't help but spare a glance in the direction the shout came from and saw a guy shaking his head as he looked away from them. The expression on his face wasn't one of anger or disgust, though, just one of humor, like he found Patroclus and Achilles hilarious. 

"Let's go back to our stuff," Patroclus said, nevertheless, and reached to intertwine his fingers with Achilles'. 

Achilles did not complain, slotting their fingers together perfectly so they could head back hand in hand. Still, that did not stop them from singing their way back to their belongings, voices clashing together disastrously but with neither of them caring. 

It was only a few minutes later that they made it back. The two of them sat down on their beach mat, shoulders touching, faces staring out at the water. Their fingers were still intertwined, the feeling bringing Patroclus a sense of calm and reassurance. Patroclus set down the bucket full of shells beside him and rested his head on Achilles' shoulder. 

"What do you want to do? I think we should go on a swim." Patroclus could feel that the eyes of the blonde were still cast out into the ocean and he knew then that the blonde had to be feeling now what he himself had been feeling earlier. 

"In a minute. Right now we need to take a picture so Briseis doesn't question that we're both still alive." Patroclus looked for his backpack, searching inside it for his phone which he knew he threw in there at some point. 

"Ha!" He cheered once his fingers slipped around his phone. He slid on his shades once more and pressed close to his boyfriend. He set up the camera and grinned wide. 

Achilles, without being asked twice, turned to look at the camera and gave out his most brilliant smile. Patroclus took the picture and wasn't surprised when Achilles quickly moved and said, "Another one! Another one!" 

The golden haired boy then moved so he could press a big kiss on Patroclus' cheek. Patroclus laughed, the sound escaping him without much of his own control, and he snapped a few pictures. He kept on taking pictures even as Achilles began to pepper his face with kisses. 

"Stop it, Achilles," he said, trying not to giggle as the blonde continued with the kisses, making a point of doing ridiculous kissing noises. "You're an idiot." 

"An idiot you love stupid and who is going to race you to the water. Come on! The water is calling us! Can't you hear it?" Achilles asked, jumping to his feet in an instant, body already vibrating with energy. 

"Just give me a moment. I need to send one of these to Briseis," Patroclus said, trying to type up a quick message even as Achilles wrapped his arms around his waist and began to hoist him up. 

Patroclus held back a squeal that wanted to get out of his throat and tried to finish up the text as quickly as possible. Achilles, being as he was, lifted up Patroclus and nearly flipped him upside down. Patroclus had to use every inch of his self-control not to scream as he finally hit the send button and threw the phone on the beach mat. 

"Okay! Okay! Let me go now." 

"You sure that's the right choice of words, Ro?" Achilles said, loosening his hold on Patroclus just a fraction so that he would feel like he would fall to the sand. 

"Achilles!" Patroclus squeaked even though he knew the blonde would never let him fall. 

Achilles laughed and smoothly set Patroclus to rights. Patroclus thought that would be the end of it, but then the blonde just threw him over his shoulder and began to run. The blonde let out a victorious yell and Patroclus just decided to join him in, deciding to just fuck it. As their bodies hit the water, all they could think of was how happy they were.

**[ — — — — ]**

The rest of the day was pure bliss for Patroclus. He currently lay on the beach mat, using a towel as a pillow, and he felt his thoughts grow slow with sleep. Achilles had gone off for his last swim of the day, and of their trip to Phthia, and so Patroclus was all by himself. He was humming along to a song under his breath, only succeeding in making himself even sleepier. He felt so happy and generally content that he was sure he must have been smiling like an idiot. He didn't really care.

The fading light of the sun felt nice on his skin. He could tell his hair was still damp, strands sticking to his forehead, but he really didn't mind. In his sleep muddled mind, he began to enjoy the feeling of the cool breeze brushing against his skin. The long exposure to the sun had made his skin darken into a richer shade and it made him feel sensitive and raw. 

As he faded further into sleep, the tune he was humming to faded away slowly. His eyes began to droop and he was unable to resist the pull of sleep. He gave into it, nearly completely. He was only distantly aware of the air turning colder as the sun made way for the moon. 

Absently, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him. In this state, he sensed more than felt as he was gently cocooned in something warm before he was lifted up into strong arms. All his body could manage was to automatically move closer to the strength of those familiar arms. He could feel himself fading deeper into the darkness of sleep and he wasn't even putting up much of a resistance. 

Patroclus felt himself being set on another relatively comfortable surface and shifted just enough to get into a more comfortable position. After that, sounds and movements went in and out of his consciousness. Sometimes he heard shuffling. There was the fading sound of a car engine nearby. He heard the sound of car doors opening and closing. 

Patroclus was a breath away from fading into total darkness when he heard the words before he blacked out. 

"Holy fucking shit! When did he get all these shells? We can't possibly keep all of these! Shit. Who are you kidding, Achilles? If he wanted you to find him twenty pegasi so he could keep them as pets, you would."

**[ — — — — ]**

It was now officially one month into the new semester of uni and Patroclus was already working himself stupid. There was nothing that could hold back his determination. So when Patroclus said he wanted to get straight A's in this semester and he wanted to be employee of the month at his job, he meant it. What that also meant was that he was working himself to death. He loved every second of it, but it was also incredibly stressful.

Most of Achilles' attempts to get him to relax for a moment failed. Patroclus was way too focused on his goals to be easily sidetracked. A few times the blonde had almost succeeded, but then Patroclus just gained his resolve almost instantly, going back to his studies. 

As of the moment, Patroclus sat on his favorite spot in their apartment. His favorite spot just happened to be in the huge hallway of their shared apartment. The door to their bedroom was a few feet away and he had enough room to spread out all his papers and books and notebooks and his laptop and anything else that was relevant, all around him in a chaotic circle that was nonsense to everyone else but perfect order for Patroclus. 

He was concentrated, scribbling away as he worked on a math equation. He was so focused that almost all sound was blocked from his head. His thoughts were zeroed-in on the numbers. He was concentrating hard enough that he didn't hear the groan of frustration that came from behind him. 

What he did hear, though, was the high pitched whine his boyfriend made, " _Daddy_." 

Patroclus' concentration faltered and he said, before turning around to face his boyfriend, "I wish I could erase that word from my mind. From everyone's mind." 

When he finally turned to look back, he found his boyfriend leaning back against the doorframe of their room, every inch of his skin exposed. Patroclus let out a curse under his breath, his grip on the pencil in his hand tightening. He was going to resist, turn around and focus back on his growing pile of homework, but then he didn't. His eyes were drawn to the slow trail of Achilles' hand as he reached down and took himself in hand. 

The green eyes of Achilles met his as he slowly began stroking himself, making a point of letting out small gasps as he quickened his strokes. The pencil in Patroclus' fingers fell away from his grasp and he whispered a soft, "Shit." 

His last bit of self-control wilted away and he ran over to his boyfriend, crushing his lips against the other's. The two of them groaned at the feeling and their kisses only became more feverish. 

"I'm going to fail all my courses because of you," Patroclus gasped, out of breath, pink lips brushing against his with every word spoken. 

Achilles shook his head, hands pulling Patroclus closer to him. He smirked, nibbling on Patroclus' lower lip, fingers working on taking off his jeans so he could take Patroclus in hand. "No, you won’t. I'll just motivate you to get work done quicker so we can do this." 

Yeah, there really wasn't much Patroclus could say no to when it came to Achilles.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have officially settled into patrochilles hell. I hope you all enjoyed reading this 'cause I dedicated way too much time to it than is healthy. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hooray! I'm officially trash. 
> 
> PS. Be kind. It's my first time writing smut in a REALLY long time and it's my first time writing it male x male. So yeah. *hides under a rock for the rest of her life*


End file.
